The History of the Panzerwaffe Vol 1 1939-1942 - Thomas Anderson

 This review has been submitted to Iron Cross magazine.

Title: The History of the Panzerwaffe Vol 1 1939-1942
Author: Thomas Anderson
ISBN: 978-1-4728-0812-7
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
Year: 2015
Hardcover
Pages: 304
Photos/Maps: 100’s/0

Military historians interested in the development, from its very earliest stages, of the German Panzer forces, will be drawn to this work. Going back to the very first tanks utilized by the Germans (captured British Mark IV’s), Anderson traces the concurrent development of both the physical and doctrinal elements of the Panzer. Included in this analysis is the effect of defeat in the World War One on the mindset of the German military leadership. As Anderson discusses, defeat, while nationally tragic for the Germans, opened them to the revolutionary changes that the Panzer brought to the doctrinal table. 

Anderson’s book may be broken down into roughly three sections: the introduction of the tank and the recognition of its impact on the battlefield of World War One, the interwar period where the doctrine of panzer operations advanced (even without actual tanks in the early postwar period) concurrent with technical innovation, and the transition from concept to reality in the first three years of World War Two. The author draws from and refers to a myriad of relevant primary source material (lessons learned, after-action reports and combat reports etc) in order to facilitate the readers understanding of how the Germans arrived at the revolutionary concept of the Panzer Division and its role in Blitzkrieg. It is noteworthy that the development of this doctrine and the tool to execute it was not a direct line but entailed a significant amount of testing and development. What is critical to appreciate however, is that the Germans were much more open to the potential of the Panzer than were their adversaries. 

Anderson also ensures that the reader is made aware of the variety of technical innovations that the Germans undertook in order to recognize the widest possible use of the panzer and its ancillary support elements. Thus it was that developers and engineers were given full support by the armed forces in improving the effectiveness of the tank. Additionally, captured Allied equipment was quickly analyzed and innovations incorporating or countering their design advantages were efficiently integrated into German designs and doctrine. 

The author looks at the effectiveness and role of the Panzerwaffe in the Polish, Norwegian, Western Desert and Eastern Campaigns. His analysis is concise, insightful and relevant as the Panzer Division takes it final form prior to Operation Barbarossa. The nature of the authors discussion is not steeped in technical verbiage but in a manner that the layman may appreciate. In addition to the formal documentation reviewed by the author, inclusion of first person recollections of combat as well as life in the tanks, adds depth and a ‘personal’ edge to the book. 

Overall, this is an excellent visual as well as narrative work. Replete with photographs and technical charts on the tanks themselves, it contains a trove of useful information. Osprey has published a book of the highest quality. Unfortunately, no bibliography has been provided; however, this does not negate the utility of this work as an excellent study of the early development and use of the armoured forces of Germany.